createRecovering a pan
I have a pan which I think is called “black iron”. It is much lighter than cast iron and has a very comercial kind of finish to it.
The problem is I didn’t season it very well when I first got it and since then it has been, on occasion, too agressively cleaned (not by me I hasten to add). The result of this is that it has a pretty good carbon coating in some areas and looks like it is slightly rusty under a thin coating in others.
What should I do?
No, no, it is not enameled. It is not cast iron either it is much much lighter than that. see picture. I got it fom a catering shop and they told me how to season it. I seasoned it ok (but probably not great), but it has been washed too abraseviely and worn through the carbon coating. It has then rusted very slightly (well, discolored) and further use has sealed the rust in a bit.
I feel it needs taking back down to the metal and reseasoning. Any suggestions?
It sounds that the pot you have might be an “enameled iron” (such as Le Creuset).
The scratchs are from using metal scourers or abrasive cleaners. This is a no-no for enameled iron. If you have rust, it is probably due to chipping the enamel which allows moisture to get trapped.
My suggestion is to get a real “iron” pan and season it correctly. But, if you like the enameld iron, be careful. Use only wooden, plastic or heat resistant nylon tools, to avoid scratching the enamel.